Happy Pioneer Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! I am spending time with friends and family too, so I will share some past recipes from the blog and some sites to read about pioneer Thanksgiving...

Try some of these old time recipes for Thanksgiving~

Rich Pie Crust
3 Cupfuls of Flour
1 Cupfuls of lard
1 Dessertspoonful of salt
Put salt and lard with flour, working in lard with hand until thoroughly mixed.  Add enough water to barely wet - ice cold water is best. Roll out in circles and put into pie plate. This is sufficient for 2 pie crusts. 

Cranberry Pie
1 Quart of cranberries
2 1/2 cupfuls of water
2 cupfuls of sugar
Line deep dish pie plate with crust.  Put cranberries on stove, with the water.  Cook until tender.  Rub through a colander.  Put in 2 scant cupfuls of sugar and boil for 15 minutes.  when cool pour this in pie plate. Lay narrow strips of pie crust from the center to the outer edge.  Bake in hot oven.

Pumpkin Pie
3 cupfuls of pumpkin (bright yellow preferred)
3 eggs
1 1/2 cupfuls of sugar
1 heaping tablespoon of flour
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 quart of milk
little salt
Boil pumpkin till tender.  Press through colander.  Mix all ingredients together.  Line 2 deep dish pie plates with a nice crust and pour in the mixture.  Bake until they rise.

Spiced Currants
5 pounds of currants
4 pounds sugar
1 pint vinegar
4 teaspoons of cinnamon
4 teaspoons of cloves
Boil slowly 2 1/2 hours.  Tie spices in cloth before boiling

Cranberry Jelly
1 quart cranberries
3 1/2 cupfuls of sugar
Put 1 quart of cranberries on the stove with cold water enough to cover.  Boil until tender.  Strain through a colander.  To this 4 cupfuls of juice add 3 1/2 cupfuls of sugar.  Boil 20 minutes and turn into a mold which has been wet with cold water.

Cranberry Sauce
Pick over and wash 1 quart cranberries, cover with cold water.  Cook until tender.  Remove from the fire and rub through a colander.  Sweeten to taste.

Turkey
Cook 10 pound turkey 3 hours in slow oven.

What to Serve with Roasted  Meats
Roast Beef and Turkey - Squash, Turnips, Onions, Cranberry Sauce
Roast Pork - Spinach, onions, applesauce
Roast Lamb - Mint Sauce
Roast Mutton - Currant Jelly, Vegetables


In case you want to try making a real mincement pie...

Mincement (The Real Thing)

4 cupfuls of Chopped Meat
12 cupfuls of Chopped Apples
2 cupfuls of Chopped Suet
1 cupful of Vinegar
3 cupfuls of seeded raisins
1 cupful of Currants
5 cupfuls of Brown Sugar
1 1/2 cupful of Molasses
6 Teaspoonfuls of Cinnamon
3 Teaspoonfuls of Cloves
1 Teaspoonful of Nutmeg
1/4 pound of Citron Ring
Juice of one Lemon
Butter the size of an egg
Salt.
Moisten with Cold Coffee or Strong Tea. Cook slowly for 2 hours.

Here are a few websites that might be interesting to you this Thanksgiving:

Pilgrims and Pioneer Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving History Videos
History of Thanksgiving Day Foods
Pioneer Thanksgiving First Harvest

See you next time...

Have a great feast and enjoy!